Cord-clamp.



UNITED STATns ,PATENT OFFICE.

IIARDIN n. LITTLEPAGE, or WASHINGTON, DISTRICT or ooLUMBIAAS SIGNOR or omi-HALF ToV WILLIAM n. MATTHEWS, on SAME PLACE.

c ozRD f CIAA Ivi P,"

srnoIrrcATIoN forming part of La'fsratene No. 655,155, dated July e1, Isoo.

Appiioanon'fuea January e, i898.

To a/Zwhom it may concern: I

Be it known that I, HARDIN B. LITTLEPAGE, a citizen of the UnitedStates, residing at Washington, District' ofv Columbia, have inl vented certain new and useful Improvements in Gord-Clamps, of which the'` followingis a p specification.

My invention relates to a key-operated cord# clamp, composed of two hinged sections, the one provided with grooves and cleats therein to receive the cords and the other with transverse ribs which areadapted to adj ustably interlock; and one object of my improvement is to provide a clamp which will securely clutch and hold cords and ropes and prevent them from slipping when under strain.

My cord-clamp is especially adapted' for use on bags which are closed or gathered at the top by ropes; but it is obviously applicable to all packages which it may be desirable to secure by cords. i

A further object is to provide the hasps with a plurality of teeth or catches whereby the two hinged sections are made'to adjustably interlock and thereby readily adapt therni selves to any variations which may occurin the sizes of different ropes.

With these ,objects in view my invention consists in'certain-features'of construction and in combinations of parts hereinafter described, and pointed out in the claims.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure lis a perspective view showing the two sections thrown open,each provided with ribs or cleats, and the serrated hasps carried by one of the sections. Fig. 2 is a plan view showing in dotted lines the relative positions of the ribs and cleats when the sections are closed and also the tort-nous position assumed by the rope or cord when pressed between them.'l Fig. 3 is a transverse sectional view taken along the line :c no, Fig. 2. Fig. 4 is a viewof the locking mechanism, the top having been removed from the lock-box.

The clamp is composed of the two` hinged sections Aand 'B,`adapted to swing upon a hinge C, which may be of any suitable construction.v The section B consists of a hollow metal casing, which may contain any desir= able locking mechanism,`"preferably the one shown in Letters Patent No. 5457,08?, which serial No. 665,854.- uio man.)

weregranted to fme October 1, 1895. How-` ever, I do not desire to limit myself to any specific locking mechanism, for any of those in general use would be equallysuitable. B is also providedwith a flange D,f0rmed by the extension of the front side ofthe casing above the lock-box. This serves-to shield the corresponding iiange D onsection A, which carriesthehasps E E. The section A is provided with grooves F F, adapted to receive the cords or ropes K, and provided with a plurality of staggered cleats or lugs G G, arranged in staggered relation in the grooves.' These cleats are so arranged relatively to the transverse ribs H, secured to the top surface L of the lock-box B, that the ribs H lie intermev diate the oppositely-arranged pairs of cleats G G when the box is closed, as best seen in Fig. 2. The outer edges or bearing-surfaces ofthe lugs or cleats G G slope in such a mani ner as Vto cause the ropes or cords when pressed against them by the ribs I-I to slide over the said bearing-surfaces until they rest against the grooves in the section'A and assume the tortuous position as Ashown in Fig. 2. Ordinarily the ribs I-I are rigidly secured tothe plate L, as shown in Fig. l; butin cases where greater adjustability is demanded of the clamp, as when it is toA be used for'a variety of `ropes differingV largely'in'size, I may provide the plate L with transverse depressions, in which are mounted springs N, preferablyV in the form set forth in Fig. 3, upon which the lugs or cleats l-I may be adapted to ride. To prevent the displacement of the ribs, the shoulder of the hinge C will Serve as a retai11- ing means for one end. To prevent the other end from displacement, I have provided a lug or projection e, secured to the flange D and projecting out over the end of the rib, thereby preventingit from entirely slipping out. The form of Spring shown is thought to be best adapted for this purpose but I do not wish to limit myself `to any special kind, as any other form generally known would be equally suitable for this purpose.

The section A is provided with hasps E E upon the iiange D', which have their edges notched or serrated and are Aadapted to enter suitable openings in the surfaceL, when D D' will stand in juxtaposition. These IOO catches Vor teethct are arranged oppositely on each side of the hasp, as best seen in Fig. l,V

' clamp;

and since the locking mechanism is such as to be equally effective upon any pair of op.-

vposite notches it is obvious that the hasps E E may be securely locked atany point along their/edges. ,Y l u ,Y n In operation when the vclamp has been loosely closed upon `the ropes or cords they are drawn through the lock as far as desired.v Then the two sections are pressed as tightly together as possible and locked securely atV that point upon the hasps. .As a further pre, caution against the rope slipping I may provide the inner surfaces 'of one or 'both sections with corrugations 0 O,'as shown` in Fig.` 1. AThese may be arranged transversely or in any otherpmanner equally suitable to the purpose. In practice it may be desirable to use only the cleats on either section, in

which case the corrugations may be dispensed with,or the corrugations may be used on either side or both, as they prove mosteffective.

Although I have only shown two pairsof teeth upon the hasps, I may provide them with any number desirable.

In Fig. 4 I have shown one locking mech# anism which may' be applied to myA cordbut I show this only as a conventional type, as it is obvious that this may be changed within the scope of my invention.

i Having thus described my invention, what I claimisl. A cord-clamp composed of two sections hinged together, one of the sections being provided withtwo grooves for the recept-ion of the cords, staggered cleats in each of the grooves and a key-operated lock for holding the' clamp in its closed position, substantially as described.

2. A cord-clamp composed of two sections hinged together, one of vthe sections being provided with two grooves for the reception of the cords, each groove having staggered cleats, the other section being provided with cleats intermediate the cleats on the irstnamed` section, and a key-operated lock for securing the clamp in its closed position, substantially as described.

3. Acord-clamp comprising two sections, spring-actuated cleats thereon adapted to accommodate cords of dierent sections and a AVmore hasps,

key-operated lock for securing the'clamp in Yits c losed position, substantially as described.

f4. A cord-clamp comprising two sections one of which is provided with cord-grooves, each groove provided with staggered cleats, the other section provided with spring-actuated cleats and afkeyA-operated lock for securing the sections together, substantially as described. Y v

5. A cord-clamp comprising two sections, one section provided` with a key-operated lock, the other section provided with one or each hasp .having a plurality of lugs or catches with which the lock in the other is adapted to engage, whereby the clamp is adapted to accommodate cords of various sections, substantially as described. 4

6. A cord-elamp'comprising two sections hinged together, one of the sections provided with a key-operated lock and cleats,the other section grooved to receive the cords and each groove provided with staggered cleats and hasps on the latter section, each' hasp provided witha plurality of lugs or catches with which the lock is adapted to engage, whereby cords of different sections may be accommodated, substantially as described. 7. Ar cord-clamp comprising two sections hinged together, one of the sections provided with a key-operated lock and spring-actuated cleats, theother sectionrgrooved to receive the cords, and each groove provided with staggered cleats and hasps in the latter section, each hasp provided with a plurality of lugs or catches with which the lock is adapted to engage whereby cords of dierent sections may be accommodated, substantially as described.

8. A key-operated cord-clamp composed of two sections, hinged together, the inner surface of one or both sections being corrugated, whereby the cord will be more securely prevented from slipping, substantially as described.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto set my hand in presence of twosubscribing witnesses.

I-IARDIN 13. LITTLEPAG.

Witnesses: Y

SoLoN C. KEMoN, -R. D. J oHNsToN, Jr. 

